Army 1st Lt. Michael R. Adams

Died March 16, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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24, of Seattle; assigned to 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.; killed March 16 when he was struck by the barrel of a .50 caliber weapon mounted on his tank in Asad, Iraq.

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In an e-mail to his family, Michael R. Adams talked of how much he loved his job and of the responsibility he felt toward the 15 soldiers he led. He remained with his platoon longer than he had to because he wanted to return with them to Fort Carson, Colo., on the unit's last boat home. "I always tell people that I have the best job in the world, and I can't believe they pay me for this!" he wrote.

Adams, 24, of Seattle, died March 16 riding in a tank west of Baghdad. A passing vehicle collided with the tank, causing a .50-caliber machine gun on a swivel to whip around, striking Adams.

"He died doing what he wanted to do," Adams' father, Don, said.

An Eagle Scout before his 16th birthday, Adams graduated from high school in 1998 with a near-perfect grade-point average. That earned him nominations to the U.S. Naval Academy and to West Point. Pam Schilz, who had been Adams' guidance counselor, said she is not surprised that the returned members of his platoon in Iraq gave up their family time, with some even paying their own way to fly to West Point, to carry his casket.

"I totally understand why. He would always watch out for the people around him," she said.

— Associated Press